Joseph Paruta

Joseph "Old Man" Paruta (3 December 1929-October 1986) was a Gambino crime family hitman who was nicknamed "Sammy Gravano's Personal Luca Brasi".

Biography
Joseph Paruta was born in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York City on 3 December 1929 to a family of Luccan Italian immigrants from Venice. He served in the Gambino crime family under the tutelage of Carlo Gambino and Paul Castellano, and he developed white hair at an earlier age than usual due to a premature aging syndrome that he had. Paruta became good friends with Sammy Gravano, who referred to him as his "personal Luca Brasi" (mob hitman). In 1986, he shot Robert DiBernardo in the back of the head as he enjoyed coffee made by Paruta, executing the "subversive" mobster; he was also responsible for the murder of Nicholas Mormando. Paruta's smoker's cough got worse after these hits, and he requested a mercy killing; however, Paruta died of lung cancer before this could happen.